Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about releasing from prison Saeed Waraich, Professor Mohammad Ismail, Junaid Hafeez and Waqar Ahmad, in the light of the threat of COVID-19 to detainees in prisons in Pakistan.

In February, I raised concerns about the situation for prisoners in detention under trial in Pakistan, particularly for blasphemy cases including that of Junaid Hafeez, as well as the UK's opposition to the death penalty with Dr Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner CMG, raised the UK Government's concerns about the death penalty and misuse of blasphemy legislation with Dr Mazari in January.

Since then we have discussed the impact of COVID-19 in Pakistan regularly with senior stakeholders. We have not raised the issue of release of prisoners in light of COVID-19.